Robert Fripp's Diary

Joe the Prolific almost always...

10.11 Joe the Prolific almost always manages to tune the day's beginning for me. And snow has been seriously falling, although not settling. And off to the Music Room to prepare Club Release No. 3. Release No. 4 is King Crimson live in the South of France in 1982.

Brief Response to The Guestbook:

Craig Astley: "Would (Craig) still then be in a dangerous legal situation" if he releases a Sunday All Over The World live cassette free? You bet! And how!

If Craig, or anyone else with favourite bootlegs, would like then considered for release by DGM please send the originals to us. We'll transfer them to DAT and put them in the archive.

I appreciate frustration and impatience when fave raves from the past may not yet have been released. DGM is weighed down by history and historic demands, mostly from a small number of enthusiasts. We have to connect the future to give us sufficient strength to settle the past at the same time.

22.03

Packing is 95% complete. A Happy Gigster's Travel Pro Wonder Wheelie is sufficient for a two-day trip to Europe, but segueing straight into a week in Tokyo requires major adventures in packing. Hate! Hate! I hate packing!

Hugh has printed up the latest ET for perusal. A recent visitor to the DGM Guestbook, Craig Winter (he prefers my playing to writing, and in this Craig has my sympathy) has sent a well-considered post, albeit from the basement, addressing matters taking place in the garden. "A flashing light destroying an entire performance?" queries Craig. How can this be? Clearly Fripp is arbitrary, capricious and lacks a sufficient professional discipline to continue in the face of such trivial disruption.

Firstly, we have to consider both the generality - well, how can a flashing light destroy a performance? - and the specificities of time, place and persons. What happened, specifically where, when and between which persons?

Secondly, Craig fails to differentiate between a physical act, the intention which gives rise to it, and the effects of both. This discussion begins on the garden floor.

But, as a beginning comment, I offer this: any intentional act which takes part within a process impacts the process of which it is a part: necessarily, inevitably. Even if the intentional act takes place in the basement, it has an effect on the higher floors. And if the intentional act is non-consensual, the process of living in the house is compromised.

Thirdly, if a non-consensual intentional act takes place within a process, to discover / discuss the degree to which the process is compromised we need to consider the specificities. Although the basement is unable to access this information, it can offer an opinion. And probably will.

Today I received a letter from a writer who has contributed an entry on my name to a music reference book. He would like to update his entry, so will I update my resume / bio? In other words, would I do his job for him? He was also somewhat peeved that we hadn't sent him certain DGM CDs for nothing. Excerpted from my reply:

"I have no interest in updating my resume - I am presently busier than I have ever been - or in updating / correcting yours. If this is your work, I wish you well with it. (And `Wimbourne' is spelt without the `u'). Current information is available on the DGM website, and my activities are posted in the Diary.

Personally, I would be happier if the entry under my name were removed from the ... Guide. As it stands, the article says less about me that it does about you.

In your letter you mention: `...but I received NO review copies for Radiophonics > Gates of Paradise!' and `never received copies!' with arrows and asterisks to the relevant titles. Clearly, you feel entitled to free releases from DGM.

DGM does not blanket mail everything we release to every writer in the industry. This is too close to the Standard Operating Procedure of an industry I know intimately, and detest. If the titles you mention were necessary to your writing, you would have bought them. And if they weren't necessary to your writing, why concern yourself (or us) with the fact you didn't get them for free?

If you do have a bona fide commission for a review, we are happy to supply you with a review copy ... Otherwise, have an easier life!".

Perhaps Craig, and those who have abandoned hope for The Raging Fripp's simple humanity, will see this as yet another example of the Tetchy Tike's descent into permanent irascibility. Those coming in on the ground floor may see something else taking place - in addition to the Tetchy Tike's descent into permanent irascibility, of course.

Today in World Central: Chris, David & I completed the sonic fairy dusting of Crim at the Bremen Beat Club for Club Release No. 3. The Big Three are hatching plans, discussing, re-equilibrating the office, and drawing breath between constant ongoing demands upon our time and energies.

Pat Mastelotto called: we'll meet in Austin on March 15th. in preparation for the P3 debut, and my appearance on a panel discussing the taping of shows (18th. March).